Injuries can occur at anytime, the most prevalent being at the workplace. The reason for this high rate of injury is that people will spend up 12 hours a day, 5 to 7 days a week performing unidirectional, one way movement patterns which causes an imbalance.
The musculoskeletal system results in overuse while other muscle groups become underused. If left unattended, these injuries can become chronic, resulting in pain and dysfunction which can last for years, which results in disability or early retirement.
Usually, when one muscle group is overused, the opposing muscle group acting as a stabilizer, becomes underused. When this imbalance establishes itself in the musculoskeletal system, the body doesn’t function as intended.
Instead of the muscles working together to perform a specified function, they work in opposition, causing the body to exert more energy to perform the same task that was previously perceived by the body as easy.
The Tightness Of Muscles
When muscles become too short and tight, they lose their strength as they are in a chronic semi-contracted state, and can’t contract or shorten efficiently due to fatigue and the fact that they’re already in a state of poor function.
If a muscle is already in a shortened semi-contracted state, it can’t contract or shorten as intended. The farther a muscle can shorten and move, the greater the strength and endurance that the muscle will have.
Chronically tight restrictive muscles just don’t function very well, and they impinge structures around and beneath them such as the nerves and blood vessels, causing disorders such as Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, Cubital Tunnel Syndrome, and many other associated Repetitive Strain injuries.
Short muscles also pull bones out of alignment, which causes a joint imbalance, often resulting in severe pain and dysfunction.
Underutilized Muscles
The same goes for underused muscles. Underdeveloped muscles are weak due to a lack of direct stimulation. Weak muscles are usually too long unless they’re in a state of spasm, which occurs as a protective response in order to keep them from being overstretched.
Weak underdeveloped muscles can’t act as efficient stabilizers when the opposing muscles are called into action, which again causes a joint imbalance to develop, as weak muscles cannot stabilize bones in their proper position or alignment.
Whether a muscle is short and tight or too long and weak, the strength and length imbalance of the affected muscles must be corrected for the body to function optimally without pain, dysfunction, and reduced mobility of the involved muscles and joints.
Muscle Imbalance Strain
Muscle imbalances are the cause of most bio-mechanical disorders in the body. From Carpal Tunnel Syndrome to Thoracic Outlet Syndrome, an existing muscle imbalance is the root cause of the disorder in most cases.
Too many modalities focus on the “band-aid principal,” allowing the muscle imbalance to go on for years with just a bit of relief here and there. So what’s needed is to focus on the actual causes of these disorders, and then eliminate them.
With the appropriate exercise and a stretching routine, most musculoskeletal disorders can be eliminated quickly and effectively.
The Correction Of Imbalanced Muscles
Correcting muscle imbalances is achieved through a process consisting of a number of stretches and exercises. Soft tissue treatment and hot/cold therapy should be utilized to help expedite the rate of recovery.
Usually the nature of performing both stretches and exercises within the same program can be quite effective at eliminating the existing condition, this without the addition of the soft tissue treatment or hydrotherapy.
There’s a treatment sequence to addressing muscle imbalances if the best results are to be achieved. If random stretches and exercises are performed, the individual can cause themselves more harm than good.
Applying Heat Therapy
Use a heating pad for 5 Minutes. This to warm the affected joint and surrounding muscles, preparing them for upcoming stretches and exercises. Make sure that all sides of the joint and surrounding muscles are warm.
Soft Tissue Treatment
Apply soft tissue treatment utilizing Trigger Point Therapy to reduce muscle spasms and to relax the tight restrictive overused muscles, which is effective in correcting muscle imbalances.
Utilizing Transverse Friction Massage on specifically weak injured muscles or tendons to break down adhesion’s on the soft tissues, can also be very effective in reducing overall pain and dysfunction.
Performing basic massage to the tight muscles is the easiest way to address the issue.
Stretching Routine
Once the muscles are warm, stretching the tight restrictive muscle group is key to increasing their length and reducing the impingement of the surrounding tissues, as well as reducing their effect on the misalignment of the joint.
Stretching the weak underdeveloped muscles is not recommended, as they are already too long and do not need to be lengthened any further.
Exercise Routine
Once the tight restrictive muscles have been lengthened from the stretches, then exercise the opposing muscle group, the one that is weak and underdeveloped.
This in order to shorten and strengthen the muscles in order to reduce the tensile stresses that’s imposed on them from the opposing tight muscle group.
Exercising and strengthening the weak underdeveloped muscles not only forces the opposing muscle group to relax and lengthen further, but it also helps to maintain the length created in those muscles from the previous stretches.
Note: Never perform stretches after the exercises as this will take the joints out of alignment, and will cause muscle rebounding. Always perform stretches first when addressing chronic muscle imbalances, then immediately follow with the exercises.
Contrast Bath
Utilizing a contrast bath at the end of the completed routine can be helpful in reducing muscle spasms, this by removing toxins from the muscles while increasing circulation and overall nutrient flow to the injury.
Doing so also helps in the increase and the speed of recovery. The basic procedure is a 3 minute heat to a 1 minute cold session, which is repeated 3 times, finishing with cold.
This treatment program is for chronic repetitive strain injuries resulting from muscle imbalances, which is extremely effective and often eliminates all of the symptoms previously associated with the injury, usually quickly and effectively.